Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Brush Works | Japonesque | makeupbrushes.co.uk Review

An artist is only as good as their tools, and that’s as true of makeup as it is of any other kind of creation.

The right brushes are probably the single best investment you’ll make to your collection. Good brushes can elevate a look no end and make even cheaper products go on flawlessly.

But good quality doesn’t have to cost the earth anymore. A wave of brands such as Real Techniques, Eco Tools and Lottie London are now providing great make-up tools for reasonable prices, and in some cases besting the expensive brands. I know I prefer my RT brushes to my MAC ones!

But what are you to do if you find yourself halfway through a killer makeup look, only to find you don’t have the right tools for the job?

When they asked me if I’d like to review some of their great selection of beauty tools, I jumped at chance. The site is a great new destination for makeup brushes and accessories.

They sell from major brands, including Barry M, Lab2, Japonesque and my beloved Real Techniques alongside hot new up and coming offerings. Here’s what I tried:

Brush Works Duo Eye Brush

Brush Works is an exciting new find, because they offer useful and well made brushes at entry level prices, so even if you’re a makeup rookie, you can treat yourself to tools that will really do the job beautifully.

Even better, with this brush you get two in one! The slim black barrel and purple metallic ferrule are really eye-catching and I love the double ended design – it saves space and is useful to travel with.

Both sides use Taklon fibres, which means they are equally as good with cream formulations and powders, as well as being fantastically easy to clean and care for.

One side is a fluff shadow brush- perfect for loading colour on and blending, and the other is an angled brush. That’s useful for more precise placement and for using with cream and gel liner, or even filling in brows. You can never go wrong with an angled brush!

The two are absolute must-haves, so to get them together is really slick. This would also be ideal to pop into your handbag to take out with you.

Even if you already have lots of brushes, at £5.99 this is a useful addition to use as a spare, without sacrificing any performance.

Japonesque HD Eyelash Curler

Japonesque is a pro brand favoured by makeup artists and beauty insiders that’s been around for a quarter of a century now.

Created with precision in mind, their inspiration has always been the makeup tools used in the Japanese kabuki theatre. But from being a well-kept industry secret, the word is now spreading and I’ve noticed them popping up in more editorials and magazine pages.

I was really intrigued to try this lash curler, because I have pin-straight lashes and rely on a great curler to save the day.

The HD or Centre Curl Lash Curler features an unusual arched pad which produces a more pronounced, dramatic curl. I always find this style of curler a little less intimidating than the metal ones which look faintly surgical! And this curler has also been designed to minimise lash pinching.

The compact shape fits nicely in the hand and is small enough for a travel makeup bag, plus there’s a replacement pad tucked inside. I was really pleased with the bright, wide-awake look it gave me and how comfortable it felt to use.

So, the products are great. There are a lot of fake brushes out there floating around, so if you buy from makeupbrushes.co.uk you know you’re getting genuine stuff.

There’s currently over 600 products live on the site but I’m told there are some new, exciting collections on the way with ore major brands being added over the next couple of months.

What I really love too is the fact that they offer free delivery on all orders. Who hasn’t filled their virtual basket, only to reconsider when there’s an extortionate shipping fee?

Its the icing on the cake here, and there’s a fast dispatch with anything ordered before 2pm Monday-Friday dispatched the same day- so if you reallllly need that new contour brush for your big night out, it’s a dream.

I know I’ll be placing lots of orders here. There is a sister site at falseeyelashes.co.uk where I shop to feed my lash addiction already and the combination of quick delivery great prices and wide selection means I honestly wouldn’t go anywhere else!

So next time you want to upgrade your beauty tools then take a look at the site and find something to love.